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Attendance

Why Attendance At School Is So Important

It is essential that children attend school regularly and maintain a pattern of good attendance throughout their school career. Excellent attendance at school is important to allow a child or young person to fulfil their potential. Below are just some of the key reasons why it is so important children attend school:

  • To learn. 
  • To have fun. 
  • To make new friends. 
  • To experience new things in life. 
  • To develop awareness of other cultures, religion, ethnicity and gender differences. 
  • To achieve. 
  • To gain qualifications. 
  • To develop new skills. 
  • To build confidence and self-esteem. 
  • To have the best possible start in life. 

Key Point

Young people who regularly miss school without good reason are more likely to become isolated from their friends, to underachieve in examinations and/or become involved in anti-social behaviour.

Family Holidays

You can demonstrate your commitment to your child’s education by not taking holidays during term time.

Any child or young person who is absent from school due to a holiday will miss out on important learning and will fall behind with their school work.

In each Academic Year, there is only a maximum of 190 statutory school days – this allows plenty of time for holidays to be arranged outside term time. Holidays taken during term time will be categorised as an unauthorised Key Point absence. Please avoid taking family holidays during the school term.

Every School Day Counts

Every single day a child is absent from school equates to a day of lost learning. Attendance percentages can be misleading.

For some parents, 90% may seem like an acceptable level of attendance, but the reality is that 90% attendance means that your child will miss half a school day each week or 19 days of school during the school year – that’s nearly 4 school weeks.

Attendance policy
100% attendance  0 days missed Excellent 
95% Attendance  9 Days of Absence 1 Week and 4 Days of Learning Missed Satisfactory
90% Attendance 19 Days of Absence 3 Weeks and 4 Days of Learning Missed Poor
85% Attendance  28 Days of Absence 5 Weeks and 3 Days of Learning Missed Very Poor 
80% Attendance  38 Days of Absence 7 Weeks and 3 Days of Learning Missed Unacceptable
75% Attendance  46 Days of Absence 9 Weeks and 1 Day of Learning Missed Unacceptable
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